Deputy US marshal, suspect killed in W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A deputy U.S. marshal was killed and two others were wounded Wednesday in West Virginia when a drug suspect opened fire on them with a shotgun and then was shot dead, authorities said.

It happened at 8:30 a.m. as deputy marshals entered a residence in Elkins to serve a search warrant, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Dave Oney said.

The suspect, Charles E. Smith, 50, was wanted on charges related to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Oney said. A search warrant for Smith’s residence had been issued Tuesday by a federal magistrate judge.

“Immediately upon entry into Smith’s residence, three deputy marshals were fired upon by a shotgun blast and struck,” Oney said. “Deputies returned fire on Smith and he was shot dead on the scene.”

Dustin Hotsinpiller, a Bridgeport police officer, confirmed to The Associated Press that the deputy killed was his 24-year-old brother, Derek Hotsinpiller. The U.S. Marshals Service later confirmed Hotsinpiller had died at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

The service said a second deputy marshal was being treated and the third had been treated and released. The service did not release their names, nor provide details on their injuries. But State Police say the two suffered non-life threatening injuries.